Christmas is coming, the Google is getting fat...
ZOMG, am I really writing a holiday post already? I feel like a department store lackey festooning the selling floor with wreaths and candles. Well, don't blame me -- blame the mainstream media.
OK - so maybe we haven't even bought our Halloween costumes yet, much less gorged ourselves on turkey, but that doesn't mean that businesses shouldn't be thinking about how to get their marketing houses in order to make the most of the holiday shopping season.
A couple of weeks ago, I chatted with a Wall Street Journal reporter about this very topic. Her piece ran today and features four simple tactics that any small business owner should consider if they'd like to optimize their digital marketing efforts before Black Friday. These may seem like old hat to you -- but if you have any small business clients who still need to be convinced that the web matters, nothing does the trick like a primer from the Journal.
Specifically, the article advises small businesses to:
- Polish their websites with current information and a swanky holiday feel.
- Invest in some targeted keyword buys.
- Engage influencers and tap into consumer reviewers through the blogosphere and social media sites.
- Make the most out of opt-in email lists for promoting holiday products and offers.
I, of course, spoke mostly about the role social media and consumer generated reviews play in the purchase decision. Here are a couple of paragraphs from the story:
The hottest trend on the Web is social media -- services that allow people to connect with friends, family and colleagues, as well as interact with people around common interests. Social sites could prove crucial to marketers around holiday time, since shoppers often turn to people they know for help with making gift decisions.
"People trust people like themselves more than they trust experts," says Greg Verdino, chief strategy officer at crayon LLC, a social-media marketing consultancy based in Westport, Conn. "It would be advantageous to have these folks telling your story."
